Slug catcher



June 17 1924. i;498,503

A. M. BELLWOOD swe C'ATCHER Filed Oct. 12. 1923 [vuenlofi Ana newBella/00d. By flfams I j Patented June 17, 1924.

UNETEQ STATiE ANDREW M. BELLW'OOD, OF FARNUMSVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS,.ASSIGNOR. TO THE WUSKANUT MILLS INCORPORATED, 013' FARNUIVISVILLE,MASSACHUSETTS, A COR- PORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

SLUG CATCHER.

Application filed October 12, 1923. Serial No. 668,071.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW M. BnLLwoon, a citizen of the United States,residing at Farnumsville, in the county of Worcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Slug Catcher, of which thefollowing is a specification. .7

This invention relates to a device for cleaning yarn by preventing thepassage of knots, slugs, dirt or other irregularities during the windingoperation. The device is particularly designed for catching and severingthe yarn upon the appearance of an enlarged, soft, loosely twisted spotin the yarn commonly termed a slug. Knots and hard lumps in the yarn maybe easily detected by passing the yarn through a narrow.

slot but soft slugs cannot be thus detected, as they flatten out andpass readily through any slot which will permit passage of the yarnitself. Special provision is necessary therefore for the removal of suchslugs from yarn or thread.

It is the object of my invention to provide an improved device whichwill prevent the passage of such slugs and other similar irregularitiesand-which will sever the yarn upon the appearance of suchirregularities.

Myimproved device is of simple construc tion, is reliable in operation,and possesses important advantages over any prior devices for thispurpose with which I am familiar.

In its preferred form my invention includes a freely movable slotteddetecting member and a knife or severing device movable with saidslotted member to operative position.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of partswhich will be hereinafter described and more particularly set forth inthe appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings in Which-Fig. 1 is a plan View of my improved slug catcher;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof, with the parts in normal runningposition;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device as shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation similar to Fig. 2, but showing the parts inoperative or severing position; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view, taken along the line 55 in Fig. 3.

Referring tothe drawings, my improved slug catcher comprises a sheetmetal stand or frame 10 having a base 11 and an upper flange 12. Thebase 11 is slotted as indicated at 13 in Figs. 1 and 5, said slot com-.mumcating with a thread guiding opening 14. The rear portion of the base11 is also provided with an opening 15, permitting the device to bereadily inserted and clamped beneath the head of a binding screw.

A. porcelain thread guide 17 is mounted on the upper flange 12 andprovides a smooth gulding surface over which the yarn Y may be' drawn bythe winding machine upon which the device is used.

A detecting member 18 is pivoted at 19 on the stand 10 and is providedwith a narrow slot 20 (Fig. 1) through which the yarn passes. This slotis of sufficient width to permit of free passage of the clear yarnbutwill prevent the passage of knots, dirt or other foreign material.

A yarn guiding element 21 is spaced above the member 18 but is mountedto move as a unit therewith about the pivot 19. The parts 18 and 19 maybe conveniently formed from a single piece of sheet metal and the part21 is provided with a forward projection 22 which extends parallel tothe slot 20 and is approximately vertically aligned therewith.

A knife or severing device 23 is pivoted at 24 on the stand 10 andnormally rests upon the detecting member 18, with its cutting edgeslightly withdrawn from the slot 20 as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2.

The parts are normally in the position shown in Fig. 2, with the yarn Yrunning freely through the slot 20 and past the knife 23 and guidingprojection 22. If a. knot or other obstruction or irregularity in theyarn or thread engages the detecting member 18, the member 18 will beswung upward upon its pivot 19, carrying with it the knife 23. Thecutting edge of the knife is thereby moved across the slot 20 to theposition indicated in Fig. 4, while at the same time the guidingprojection 22 draws the yarn sharply against the edg of the knife,insuring the severing thereof.

The parts 18, 21 and 33 are all of very light construction, so that theywill move freely upward when engaged by a soft or loosely twisted slugas well as when engaged by a knot or other positive obstruction.Accordingly, my device is well adapted for severing the yarn andpreventing the continued winding thereof upon the appearance of anyirregularity which is not readily brushed away by passage through theslot 20.

All of the parts are exceedingly simple in construction and thereisnothing whatever about the device to require resetting or adjustment.When once in position, the device will operate for an indefinite periodwithout further attention.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, 1 do notwish to be limited to the details herein disclosed other= wise than asset forth in the claims but What I claim is 1. A slug catcher comprisinga stand, at detecting member pivoted thereto and having a narrowtransverse thread guiding slot therein, and a knife positioned abovesaid member and normally in inoperative position with its cutting edgeadjacent said slot, said knife being movable with said member on upwardmovement thereof to advance its cutting edge across said slot and severthe yarn passing upward therethrough.

" 2. A slug catcher comprising a stand, a detecting member movablymounted thereon and having a yarn guiding element spaced therefrom butmovable as a unit therewith,

and a normally inoperative severing device positioned between saidmember and said guiding element and movable with said parts and alsorelative thereto to operative severing position.

A slug catcher comprising a stand having upper and lower fixed yarnguiding portions, a detecting member movably mounted on said standbetween said upper and lower guiding portions, a yarn severing devicemovably mounted on said stand above said detecting member and normallyin inoperative pos tion, and an additional yarn gniding elementpositioned above said severing device and movable as a unit with saiddetecting member.

4. A slug catcher comprising a stand, detecting member pivoted theretoand hav ing a narrow thread guiding slot therein, a knife pivoted tosaid stand above said member and normally resting on said detectingmember with its cutting edge adjacent said slot, and a yarn guidingelement positioned above said knife, said guiding element being movableas a unit with said detecting memher and being substantially alignedwith the slot therein.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto afiixed my signature.

ANDREW M, BnLLwoon.

